Puerto Rico and Problematic Chinese Drywall Complaints at CPSC

If the sulfur compounds in the air are able to cause corrosion on metal surfaces, this same air is certainly not healthy to be breathing day after day.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has stated that they have received complaints regarding problematic Chinese drywall from Puerto Rico as well as 44 states. The complaints stem from sulfur compounds being emitted into the air from the drywall.

Drywall from China was imported into the U.S. from 2006 to 2008 to address the shortage of construction materials created by the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons and the national demand for new home construction.

The CPSC is the lead federal agency for problem drywall and it began investigating the problem in 2009 along with the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) and other agencies. Just last month, the ATSDR released the report, “Health Consultation: Possible Health Implications from Exposure to Sulfur Gases Emitted from Chinese-Manufactured Drywall.”

In addition, the agency reports that odors associated with sulfur compounds emitted by problem drywall could disrupt daily activities and cause stress.

“People living in homes built with the Chinese drywall causing all the problems have also reported corrosion of some metal components in their homes,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “If the sulfur compounds in the air are able to cause corrosion on metal surfaces, this same air is certainly not healthy to be breathing day after day. At Zimmetry, our indoor air quality professionals have the expertise and testing resources to identify properties with this type of drywall.”

Zimmetry recently sponsored an educational video about Chinese drywall and indoor air quality concerns that can be seen at: http://youtu.be/-Zagx6JlVvg

About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality (IAQ), asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.